| Cricket frogs | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Acris gryllus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Hylidae |
| Subfamily: | Acrisinae |
| Genus: | Acris Duméril &Bibron, 1841 |
| Species | |
Cricket frogs, genusAcris, are small,North Americanfrogs of the familyHylidae.[1][2] They occur in northern Mexico (Coahuila), the United States east of theRocky Mountains, and in southern Ontario, Canada.[1]
They are more aquatic than other members of the family, and are generally associated with permanent bodies of water with surface vegetation. This is a quite important aspect of their survival, as adult cricket frogs suffer high mortality rates when submerged in poorly oxygenated water (typically less than 24 hours on average in water that is ~1.2 mg/L).[3] Thecommon andscientific names refer to their call, which resembles that of acricket. The two common species areA. crepitans andA. gryllus.A. crepitans are found in mesic woodlands as well as xeric grasslands, whereasA. gryllus are concentrated in mesic woodlands.
Cricket frogs are able to communicate and attract each other using a specific frequency of their mating call, that sounds like a cricket. It can only be heard by members of the same population. Cricket frogs from other locales are unable to aurally process other calls, leading to mating isolation among the species.[4]
There are three species:[1][2]
The earliest known fossil member of the group is †Acris barbouriHolman, 1967 from theEarly Miocene of Florida, US.[5][6]
Data related toAcris at Wikispecies
Media related toAcris at Wikimedia Commons
